


Of Broken Things

by ikigai (fencingfox)



Series: P/T Word of the Day [15]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Cardassians, F/M, Is it MU? Is it AU?, Non-Consensual Touching, One Word Prompts, Traitor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:14:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22596127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fencingfox/pseuds/ikigai
Summary: B'Elanna Torres started with a plan.The plan morphed with time. She found herself out of school abruptly. The plan morphed with people. She found no one wanted her. The plan morphed when she befriended Eileen. She started performing at Faza's Tavern. The plan morphed when she met Tom.B'Elanna Torres started with a plan, but the plan never started with her.
Relationships: Tom Paris/B'Elanna Torres
Series: P/T Word of the Day [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1613410
Comments: 10
Kudos: 17





	1. Lackluster

**Author's Note:**

> We're trying something new. For the next few days, the stories will be connected with _chapters_. Change is scary; I know. It okay. * _patpat_ *

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (adjective) lacking in vitality, force, or conviction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Understandably, this was a tough word to work with. I would never describe either B'Elanna or Tom as lackluster. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Still, AUs are fun. I haven't done one in a while.
> 
> Special Chapter Specific Tags:  
> \- [none]

His hand on her arm stopped her hasty retreat to the relative shelter of the back room. "How can you stand doing this?" She looked at him, sick to death of looking at anything male but she couldn't take her eyes away. He cared. For some reason. He cared. "You know all of them leer. And I _know_ what they're all thinking."

"What are they all thinking, Tom?" She grumbled. When she tugged her arm away, he let her go. If anyone else in the club caught her like that, they'd tighten their grip. Tom didn't. Tom never did. It made her want to stay longer. But what for? He'd be on the Friday's transport out. He said so himself.

"Just," he looked flustered.

"Say it," she whispered, barely audible.

He sighed loudly and shook his head in defeat. "B'Elanna," he pleaded. "I don't need to say it do I?"

She turned for the back room again. This whole game of his was exhausting. Plus, she had another four hours to go tonight. She needed makeup, a meal, some friendly company. "It's my job to make them leer," she said flatly. She left him standing there, staring probably. As soon as she was within the privacy of the back room, she slumped against the wall.

B'Elanna drew her hands to her neck where she could attempt to massage the tension away. She made okay money. Just three more months of this. She could go back to Earth. Get a safer job. Finish school. The sting at the back of her neck alerted her to her nails digging into the skin there. She dropped her hands, shaking her head. Leaving had been stupid, juvenile, and spur-of-the-moment. She'd had nowhere to go, very little money, and hardly a resume to speak of! Only a place like this had work for her.

Speaking of which, she should take that break she'd been promising herself all morning.

B'Elanna knew he was watching her when she went back on stage. Without consciously deciding to, she put an extra shake to her hip that jangled the beads of her skirt. His eyes met hers. She fought a smile. The smile stole over her anyway. It was only a moment. Only a second. But he saw. She knew. She looked away for the rest of the night. It was ridiculous. The good ones never stay long. Besides, she needs to go places. She doesn't need someone slowing her down.

After her sixth song ended, B'Elanna made her way off stage to the seating area she and Eileen frequented on their breather breaks.

"You." She ignored her boss, thinking he wanted Eileen during their break. Eileen was _really_ something. One day she'd get off this world and make it to Risa like she dreamed. Jealous wasn't the word B'Elanna felt about it. Sad was more like it. Eileen was a nice person, it didn't make sense that she'd want a life dancing like this forever. Granted, Risa was a ritzy place. Maybe she'd be happy there. B'Elanna hoped she would.

Eileen elbowed B'Elanna and made her look up to realize Faza approached her in the first place. "Boss?"

"You have a John tonight. Room 218."

She rarely had a John. When she did, the night ended quickly: nothing for her, everything for them. She hated it, but there's more money in nights than evenings. "I have a John? Who?"

"Don't know. Blond man." Faza looked happier than a dragon with gold. "Paid a lot though." He left, practically skipping.

"You don't think it's Tom do you? He seems like a gentleman." Eileen asked.

B'Elanna scoffed. "Some gentleman." She stifled a nervous laugh but only just. Eileen wasn't fooled. She put a hand on her shoulder.

"It'll be fine, B'Elanna. You go in, you get down, you go out. Easy peasy."

B'Elanna patted her friend's hand. "Yeah." She took a breath and stood, shrugging Eileen's hand off. "Easy peasy."

"How close are you to leaving?" Eileen changed the subject.

B'Elanna offered her a thankful smile. "Three months give or take."

Eileen beamed but kept her volume low, "I'm so happy for you!"

"I'm excited, nervous too. A little worried I'm making the same mistake again."

Eileen shook her head, "You've been thinking about this longer. And you've grown up some. I think this is what you need." Faza called them back before B'Elanna could thank Eileen. She didn't get a chance for the rest of the night. Eileen had a John too, she guessed.

At the end of her night, B'Elanna found room 218 easily. The door was closed. She slipped the door hang she needed to use over the knob and knocked.

"B'Elanna?" It wasn't him. She nodded. "Come in. Name's Freddy." It felt like a dream walking past him and smelling all the cologne he used. How can anyone stand it all? No wonder he had to pay for her time. "Do you want a drink?" He asked as he strode to the replicator in the corner.

She planned to shake her head but instead she nodded. "Yes. I want a drink. Orange juice?"

"Orange juice," he handed her the drink as she sat at the table, not sure where else to go. "That's peculiar."

She wanted to say, "Not as peculiar as this," but held her tongue.

Freddy took the seat opposite her with his drink of water. The slower she drank, the longer she could put this off. "Nervous?"

Only because she drank so slowly did she manage not to choke. "N-No. I do this a lot."

He looked at her sideways in disbelief. "You have strangers arrange you transport off-world a lot?"

"Off...Off-world?"

"Yeah," he paused a breath's space before something dawned on him. "Tom didn't tell you?"

"Tom?" Her heart hammered. She wasn't sure if fear or excitement drove it. Faza never mentioned leaving. Surely, Eileen engaged in Johns who wanted a different location?


	2. Decorous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (adjective) in keeping with good taste and propriety; polite and restrained

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special Chapter Specific Tags:  
> \- [none]

After she brushed him off, the next time Tom saw her was when she went on stage with a small crowd shuffling subtly to get closer. Probably like every other client in the joint, he caught himself tracing her hips with his eyes. When he realized, he pulled his gaze up, proud that he only lingered a second on the flowing triangle concealing her chest before seeking her eyes. He stood far enough away that he could see all of her except her feet which the crowd blocked with their heads and hands.

B'Elanna caught his eye. Her lip twitched into a smile. He heard more than saw the hip-shift that caused her skirt beads to clink together. It was like she'd done it for him. Not that he had any reason to believe that. In fact, the whole crowd probably had the same feeling. But the whole crowd didn't realize that she blushed and looked away just after he smiled back.

It was being doused by reality when her eyes left his. He realized where he was. Where she was. Those in the crowd cloyed for a better look or a touch. It made Tom nauseous, angry, appalled, upset.... As soon as he greeted one emotion, another barged in on its heels. He crossed his arms tightly to keep from doing...something. What exactly he might do never crossed his mind.

Oh, he wished he never met her. He saw how this place ran. It wasn't no Risa. It was shady, ran by a shady Ferengi who found out just how much money a Human would dish on watching a dancer... not to mention what they'd dish on sleeping with one. Not that he expected that happened all the time. But the look of the women around here...and some of the male dancers.... Had B'Elanna ever? He had to assume that working in a place like this probably meant she had to.

He wanted to take her away from here. There was no reason to. Damn, he even knew dancers on Risa who loved being paid to have this effect on men. It made them feel special.

He wanted to make B'Elanna feel special. He didn't know how. He didn't know why. All Tom knew was that she captured something in him and nothing he could ever do would lessen her hold. It was ridiculous. He wasn't a naive kid anymore. Why should he be so attached to her? He lingered another minute before deciding on what he needed to do. She had a friend around here somewhere: another dancer. He'd seen them talking together several days now.

Tom spotted her on a dimly lit corner stage. What little light there was caused the sequins on her bared stomach to glitter. B'Elanna's friend clearly enjoyed her job. She shimmied to the faster rhythm here like the song was written just for her. Tom squeezed through the crowd to be closer. In this crowd, he had a low chance of catching her eye. He could only hope that his unorthodox interest in B'Elanna would be enough for a quick conversation.

At the climax of her song, the friend noticed Tom. Her gaze didn't linger but he caught the subtle nod she gave him. It seemed to promise they'd talk. When the music started to slow, Tom drifted out of the crowd but made sure to be in eyesight of the friend.

"Tom right?"

He cocked his head at her greeting. "Yeah. And you?"

"Eileen," she said as she sat with a grace normally only seen by wildcats. "B'Elanna talks about you."

"She does?" He had no idea. "Wha—" He stopped himself. Perhaps he shouldn't know? Maybe she wouldn't want him to know? Eileen laughed.

"All good things." She flashed her eyes at him, "Mostly."

Tom hesitated. She did seem to want to talk about it. He had come here for information. "Mostly?"

Eileen smiled like she knew he'd been about to let the opening go. "You're too nice. And you're leaving Friday."

"She doesn't like that I'm nice?"

"She doesn't like that you're nice _and_ leaving Friday." He took longer to think about what she was saying but it still didn't make sense. "Tom, you seem like a good guy. Hell of a lot better than most of the people who come through here, so I'll let you in on what I know. I trust you won't say you got it from me?"

"You can trust me."

"I don't know B'Elanna's whole story. Bad family life, worse life out there cause of the whole," she gestured to her forehead, "Klingon thing. I think she made a mistake coming out here 'cause people don't like Klingon more out here. Faza only keeps her around because it makes him the only place with a half-Klingon." Eileen sighed and folded her hands on the table. "I'm getting ahead of myself. She's been saving to go to Earth: school or a job. I worry about her. I _know_ how much she wants this, but I don't know who's gonna _help_ her when she gets to Earth, you know?" Eileen shrugged. "Maybe she has contacts, but maybe she...maybe she's stubborn."

Faza called Eileen away. After she apologized she wished him luck and left him to his thoughts. Tom went to his room as a half-formed plan turned and mutated and turned and mutated again in his mind. He made a few calls as the plan came together. After he ended the last to Faza to rent B'Elanna, he had a moment to wonder.

What was he doing? He'd never done this before. What does he do if she says no? He'll leave that's what. Tom wiped his hands on his pants. He had to try. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't try.

When it was time, Tom nervously swiped his card to enter room 218 and smiled when he saw her. "B'Elanna?" She looked wary. "Come with me?"

"Where?"

"Earth."


	3. Cant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (verb) talk hypocritically and sanctimoniously about something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special Chapter Specific Tags  
> \- Traitor

B'Elanna laughed, "You're kidding."

"No, I'm not," Tom responded sincerely. He glanced at Freddy while closing the gap between himself and B'Elanna. Tom heard Freddy leave. B'Elanna's gaze snapped back to Tom.

"What do you really want?"

"You."

B'Elanna crossed her arms. "You _rented_ me." She opened her arms as if in challenge. It reminded Tom of a puffer fish. Not a bad resemblance due to the Klingon in her. "Have at it."

"I want more than one night."

She scoffed and took a step back, saying, "Then stay. Rent me again." She couldn't keep the hope out of her voice. What if he stayed? No, that was all wrong. She still had to go to Earth. Going with him sounded a lot like a strings-attached kind of deal. "I can't just go with you."

"You want to go to Earth. I'll take you there."

It occurred to her that _maybe_ all she had to do was trust him, but trust wouldn't come easily. This was too quick, too strange, too unlike her usual string of bad luck that she knew she couldn't trust it. She shook her head. "You get a night." She shrugged. "If you want it."

"I told myself I wouldn't push you to come with me. But, as you keep pointing out, I've bought your time. Mind if I try to persuade you?"

She sat on the edge of the bed, sliding back until she had the room to sit cross-legged. "It's your time, do whatever you want."

Tom sat cross-legged on the carpet in front of her. "You have a blind optimism about your future. But, Eileen said you never mentioned having people on Earth to help you."

"I might. I don't know."

"You don't know if you have people to help you and you _still_ think you'll be better off than here?"

"Weren't you disapproving just this morning?"

"And aren't I helping you out?" He grinned.

"You can't just walk in and play—" B'Elanna straightened.

"Play what?"

She looked down at him only long enough to hiss, "Shh." The doorknob jimmied. B'Elanna cursed under her breath as she uncrossed her legs. "Help me with these."

"What?"

She had her pants halfway down her thigh. The red lace g-strap left behind caught Tom's gaze. His heart thumped. "Faza checks in sometimes," She whispered. "He doesn't like us talking to guests." A thought occurred to her, "Probably because of 'good Samaritans' like you." Her pants fell past her knees, pooling above her ankle-high boots. She pulled his head closer. Tom's nose brushed against the red lace. Her scent enveloped him. "Make yourself useful," she ordered as she removed her hand from his hair and leaned back on her hands.

Tom nuzzled his nose against her folds. If he knew this was where his night needed to go, he'd have worn looser pants. B'Elanna moaned over his head. He rested his arm along her warm thigh so he could pull aside the strap to lick into her. B'Elanna swore long and loud as Tom moved to suck her hood, flicking with care at her clitoris nestled underneath.

B'Elanna chose to keep her eyes shut and averted until she dimly heard the door close again. She pushed at Tom's shoulder to tell him the danger had passed. He looked up. The slurp of his tongue and mouth ceased filling the room.

"I'm enjoying myself." He shifted to his knees as he dragged his fingers up her sides.

"That's the first time I ever heard that for this." She laughed.

Tom frowned as he pushed lightly on her shoulders. "That's a shame. Lay back."

The door slammed open. B'Elanna bolt upright to see why.

"B'Elanna!"

"Eileen?"

"You've got to get out of here, _now!_ " She stepped inside.

B'Elanna looked down at Tom. "Did you put her up to this?"

"Nobody put me up to this," She exasperated. "Faza knows. He's furious! He wants to kill you."

Tom stood to give B'Elanna space just as she rose to pull her pants up. He followed her and Eileen followed him out of the room and down the corridor.

"Where to, Tom?"

"Aft port."

"Aft port," B'Elanna confirmed as she took a turn.

Eileen ran faster to catch up. She'd lost pace with the two ahead of her when she stopped to grab the bag she left outside their room. Once in range, she clocked Tom over the head with it. He went down with a loud thump.

B'Elanna stopped short at the sound behind her. When she turned, Eileen held a bag awkwardly to her left in a two-handed grip. Tom lay on the vinyl, motionless.

"What the hell, Eileen?!"

The woman straightened, "I'm getting off this junk-heap today."

B'Elanna wanted to check Tom's pulse. She still had emotions running high from the minute of bliss he'd bestowed upon her. That had to explain why she now wanted to rush to him so much it seemed to crush her chest. She didn't trust Eileen not to bash her over the head too.

"We can take you with us!"

"You didn't think of me _once _while he told you. Admit it."__

__B'Elanna didn't have an answer she thought would satisfy her. "This isn't you, Eileen."_ _

__"I've been here four years longer than you have." She scoffed as she pulled a phaser from her bag, dropped the bag and aimed. "How far am I from leaving? Three _years_." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Faza knows I want to dance Risa. He skims my cuts more than yours. You, he figures, don't have any plans. He wants to keep you forever. He wants to keep everyone forever."_ _

__"How do you know this?" B'Elanna eased her tone and rose her hands slowly. If she got shot, she couldn't help Tom._ _

__"I'm his _confidant_ ," Eileen mocked with a sneer. Her tears leaked out over the rim of her eyelids. "His favorite at that," she spat like the words tasted bad._ _

__"Eileen, we'll take you with us. Just please, let me help Tom."_ _

__She stiffened her jaw. "I can't take that risk. Move."_ _


	4. Allege

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (verb) claim or assert that someone has done something illegal or wrong, typically without proof

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special Chapter Specific Tags:  
> \- Non-Consensual Touching  
> \- Cardassians

B'Elanna stood her ground. "No."

"I don't want to shoot you."

"Then put the phaser down."

"You won't come with me if I do."

B'Elanna fought hard not to ball her hands into fists. "You're not making any sense. Why do you need me with you?"

"I just do."

B'Elanna huffed. "Let me bring Tom." She thought fast before Eileen could protest. "If someone sees him here; if _Faza_ sees him; we won't escape."

"It won't matter."

"Eileen," B'Elanna growled. She didn't know why this was suddenly so important. This morning she wouldn't have fought so hard to bring him with. But it was likely his shuttle they were stealing. She had to hope that if he came to, he'd be able to do something about Eileen taking over the shuttle. Not that she couldn't do something herself now. The phaser. Did Eileen even know how to use one? Was it on kill or stun? And how big a stun? She would probably hardly wince at the lower settings a full human couldn't stay upright for.

"Ugh! Why do you care? He's _just_ a _John_."

"I just do," B'Elanna echoed as she stepped forward cautiously.

"Stay back!"

B'Elanna froze again. No one moved. She hardly dared to blink. When it seemed like Eileen had wound down, B'Elanna lunged for the weapon, ducking low. Eileen yelped, drawing back out of B'Elanna's reach. Before she could lunge again, she felt the sharp electric burn of phaser fire to her side.

When B'Elanna came to, she wasn't entirely sure that she had. It was so dark around her. She also couldn't move more than a few inches without running into wall. She realized she was in a storage closet and fumbled around her for a knob, completely unsure as to where that knob might be. She found it on her left, above her shoulder.

B'Elanna squinted her eyes as the light streamed in. How long had she been out? Where was Eileen? Where was Tom? Where was she? She pushed the door open another hand's width, then another when she saw and heard no one. Fatigued and clumsy yet somehow perfectly aware, B'Elanna stood and crept out of the supply closet. She latched the closet quietly before gazing down the hall to reestablish her bearings. If she remembered correctly, Tom wouldn't be far from here. She led herself with caution as she skirted the wall toward where Tom should be.

At the intersection, B'Elanna heard gruff voices. She'd heard plenty of alien lilts since coming to work for Faza. Some she knew well. And some she knew well to avoid. The distinctly Cardassian ego-ed voices around the bend were of the "to avoid" kind. B'Elanna glued her back to the wall and sunk lower so she could poke her head out in a low enough place not to be noticed.

"You'd think he'd keep from leaving his workers around like fallen leaves."

"It's not like he has much reason to protect them," the man picking up Tom to sling over his shoulder said. "He's selling them all to us anyway."

"I just hate to see them damaged before we get them." A heavy silence descended for only a beat before they both burst into raucous laughter. The one who made the joke doubled over to laugh.

The one with Tom across his shoulders playfully shoved his accomplice, "The broken ones are so much easier to break."

"I know, I know. I'm just so hilarious I can't help myself." He wiped at tears as he straightened. "Three to beam—"

"Hey!"

The Cardassians stared. "Hold that beam out." The one who called for the beam out closed his communication link with a tap. B'Elanna squared her stance, then thought better of it. They weren't after a fight, they wanted easy money. And if Faza—oh. She understood Eileen's behavior now. No one had a worse reputation than Cardassians. The terrible thing about it is that they seemed to enjoy the notoriety.

B'Elanna swayed closer, letting her hips do as much of the talking as they could. "That man you have, we like to tag-team. This place dulls me. Take me with." B'Elanna stepped within an arm's reach of the Cardassian only so she could peer at Tom to check on him. He looked like he was still breathing. When B'Elanna faced the Cardassian again, she noticed he was grayer than she'd seen a Cardassian be before. He grabbed her chin and turned her as if to inspect her.

"What do you think?" He asked over B'Elanna's head. She stood her ground when the man carrying Tom, swiped his hand down her back appreciatively. She held her breath while trying not to look it as she waited and hoped. She heard Tom breathing near her. She focused on that, faint but consistent. The Cardassian slapped her ass, but she'd been expecting it and managed not to fall forward. Her flash of a glare at him made him break into a grin.

"I like this one."

The man who called the beam out before grabbed her arm roughly as he requested, "Four to beam up."

B'Elanna noticed the gray first. Grays and browns. Those seemed to be the only colors Cardassians knew. She spotted green accents just as she made the first conclusion and revised it accordingly. The men she came aboard with pushed her forward from the transporter pad to an adjoining room. Then they led her down another corridor with cells padding either side. The man carrying Tom entered a code for an empty cell and dumped him unceremoniously to the ground, kicking his foot inside the barrier when it didn't land there on its own. The man holding her shoved her forward, making her trip over Tom's leg before she heard the _zup_ of the wall go up again.

She didn't spare the Cardassians a second glance, or even a second thought at the best way out of here. Tom had been unconscious for longer than she had, and he'd been hit in the head as far as she could guess. B'Elanna hefted him so he could sit against the corner.

Only then did she consider the reality of not having any medical supplies. Her hands hovered around his puffy face. Was he puffier than usual? She didn't know. She looked around the cell and spotted a bunk bed with bare mattresses, a sink opposite the beds, and a toilet beside the sink. She went to the sink as she tore a corner from her shirt off. The water ran coppery for a moment, or maybe it only looked that way with all the gray.

No, it was the water. It ran clear after another moment. She wet the cloth once it came out just shy of lukewarm. B'Elanna kneeled beside Tom to dab his forehead and cheeks with the towel, taking some time to inspect his head for cuts while pushing his hair out of his face.

He seemed okay, just unconscious. Her hand held his jaw steady as she dabbed the left side of his face.

"Where?" He croaked. She drew back, not realizing he'd woken. His eyes were still closed.

"Tom?"

"B'Elanna?"

"It's me. Can you open your eyes?" She asked. He opened them as if they weighed like bricks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess because this chapter's a little longer you all get another cliff hanger. :D
> 
> Goodness this one's gotten out of hand. I'm thinking the finale is tomorrow assuming I don't spend too long getting to it.
> 
> I'm sorry I always make the Cardassians bad guys. Maybe after I finish watching DS9 I'll have a more well-rounded attitude toward them.


	5. Skeevy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (adjective) unpleasant, squalid, or distasteful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The finale!

Tom didn't seem to believe B'Elanna when she explained to him for the third time what happened: Eileen knocked him out to escape because she didn't trust him; she phasered B'Elanna because she apparently didn't trust her either; they were now in a Cardassian hold and would probably be forced to be sex slaves.

"Are you sure you're alright?" She asked when he gave her a confused expression.

Tom waved her off, "I'm fine. I'm just shocked. That's a lot to happen in one day. How did they get you again?"

"They...I asked to come with."

"What?" He blanched. Given that, B'Elanna figured he wasn't so bad off. She trusted him not to fall over long enough for her to wet the cloth again.

"They were going to beam out. I had no idea where they were taking—"

"But you did it anyway. Why?"

B'Elanna shrugged as she shut off the faucet. No point in lying. "You bought my night, remember?" She dabbed the cloth to his face, but he jerked away.

"It's still night?" He asked. B'Elanna nodded as she grasped Tom's chin to hold him steady so she could cool down his skin. He felt too warm. The shock of the situation wasn't doing him any good either. He stayed silent and still long enough for her to dab all of his face. "So I take it you won't speak to me again in the morning."

She scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous. You're the only person I know here." She shut her mouth quickly. Then decided to add anyway, "Assuming Eileen got out okay."

"She hit me in the head!"

"Yeah, and Faza was using her more than me; probably using her more than anyone under his _employ_ ," she spat.

After a long while, Tom spoke up, "I don't think that's doing any good any more. I feel fine; like I took a long nap."

"I'm pretty sure you got a concussion."

"No," He shook his head, and then stopped abruptly with a wince. "Just a headache. I'm fine." B'Elanna frowned at him, but stood to hang the cloth over the sink ledge. She surveyed the room, drifting to the bed. Touching it told her the mattresses were firm and chilly feeling. The plastic did little to hold heat. She hoped the guards would be around with bed linens but she highly doubted it. "Come here?"

B'Elanna turned abruptly to face him having been pulled from her thoughts. "What for?"

"You did say I bought your night." He held his arms out in invitation.

B'Elanna chuffed, "You're in no condition to engage me on that."

He looked surprised, "Who said anything about sex? Don't you ever cuddle anybody?"

Intrigued, B'Elanna strode to Tom and placed herself where his arms suggested while she shook her head, "No, never."

He drew her torso closer to his, "I'm glad to get to do it first then." It felt strange being held comfortably by Tom. B'Elanna's stomachs danced pirouettes as she felt his chest rise and fall beside hers. She unconsciously found herself trying to match in counter to his breaths. When he breathed in, she breathed out. When he breathed out, she breathed in. When she noticed, she didn't make an attempt to stop.

"Shouldn't we come up with an escape plan?" As someone used to making plans and watching them fall through, B'Elanna wasn't sold on the idea. She just didn't have any other suggestion and she wasn't about to stay here long enough for someone to request her.

Tom shrugged, "Probably, but that forcefield isn't going to go down easily from inside. We may as well wait for the right opportunity." As comfortable as she was, B'Elanna was inclined to agree.

She didn't know how much later after drifting to sleep on Tom's chest that she was woken with a sharp jab: a stick or a pointy boot. She saw the black baton before she saw the man wielding it.

"Get up. Someone requested the both of you."

She gave Tom a concerned look, but he managed to rise on his feet without her help. B'Elanna stood after him. The requester—B'Elanna did her best not to show the smirk when she saw Freddy—looked out from behind the guard. He changed into a suit that flattered him. He looked expensive and B'Elanna figured that's what got him the special treatment of coming to pick them up.

Once the wall was down, Freddy decked the Cardassian, using his own baton against him with a knee to his chest and his hands on the baton pressing into his neck.

"Need help, Freddy?" Tom asked.

"Nothing I can't handle. Go."

Tom grabbed B'Elanna's hand. A little stunned by the fluidity of their escape, she was slow to follow, stumbling over her feet until her brain caught up to her legs. They took a quick left, another left, then a right. It was like Tom knew where to go. She froze. He tugged forward but fell back and turned to face her. She pulled her hand to her chest to cross her arms.

"Come on, B'Elanna."

"How do you know where to go?"

"I've been here before." He tried to tug her arm from the iron wall she'd formed with no luck. "Come on." He gave up, instead choosing to rest his hand on her arm. "I'll tell you on the way!" That appeased her enough to keep moving. She was in danger after all.

"Freddy and I do this sort of thing often. We go to backwards bars, make connections, pull people out," he said. Her heart sank. Something in her had believed she was special; believed she was special to him. She wanted it badly now that it was out of reach. Still, she followed him down the corridors. "This is the _Belbor_. We run into them a lot. They have a little access port from when the ship smuggled goods." He turned another corner down a smaller corridor. "Freddy's shuttle will be there."

At the port in question, Tom shoved it open. He ushered B'Elanna inside the circular, barely pillow-wide crawl space. "You'll still take me to Earth?" Tom nodded. B'Elanna crawled inside. She felt the crawl space shift as Tom entered behind her. She looked back to see him close the _Belbor_ 's access hatch.

It wasn't a long crawl to reach the open hatch of the shuttle. B'Elanna slipped inside, surprised to see Freddy already at a far console. Tom took the pilot seat and B'Elanna, without anywhere better to go, took the co-pilot seat beside him.

He went through what B'Elanna chalked up as flight pre-checks. There was an extra moment to retract the mechanized tube hatch before Tom shifted into high impulse away.

Tom spoke up after mostly silence for several hours, a few of which due to B'Elanna finding herself too exhausted to stay awake, but not liking the idea of sleeping on a bed in a shuttle of strangers, ironically. "It's dawn now back at Faza's. You don't need to stay here with me."

She shook her head, "I hadn't thought of leaving." The thought now brought back the urge to stay. It felt sudden like when he'd first been polite to her; strong and bitter like when he'd suggested she was just another person to rescue over anything special.

"You hadn't?"

"No."

"Okay, well you don't need to keep me entertained. Get some sleep."

"What about you?" She asked. She abruptly protected herself on it sounding the least bit flirty by adding, "You've been up all night." As soon as she said it though, she wasn't sure it did what she wanted it to do. Without context, it could be taken as flirty.

"I've had us on autopilot."

"Isn't that boring?"

"Well normally." He shrugged. "I had company this time."

"What are you saying?"

He laughed, "Straight to the point, huh? I like that about you." B'Elanna glanced behind her, looking for Freddy. He wasn't anywhere she could see him. Until she caught sight of the red mound on the bed, she thought she imagined seeing him on the shuttle at all. She faced Tom. His gentle smile in profile suggested he knew why she looked behind them.

"Would you be offended if I said I've never met anyone like you before?"

"I guess it depends on why." B'Elanna pressed her back into her chair but kept her head angled to Tom.

"Half of the time, we meet these people and they don't have any plan to leave. Usually, they don't know how or are scared. They might be unsure of what else they could possibly do or a million other things. You were saving to leave weren't you?"

"Oh, that's all in my room! I don't have—"

"Relax, Freddy got it." When she looked at him in shock, he added, "We didn't take anything." Her face relaxed.

"You're an impressive woman, B'Elanna. I meant what I said before." He'd said a lot. She wasn't sure exactly what he meant to reference now. "In room 218: I want more than one night," he reminded her.

"Right." B'Elanna shifted in her chair. "So rescuing me; rescuing anyone is just your fool-proof way of getting sex?"

"No!" He slid a slider up and twisted away from his chair to face her. "I want to get to know you better. I like you." Her lip twitched up in response. "What do you say to my sticking around a little until you get settled on Earth?"

"That would be good." She smiled mischievously. "Maybe even enjoyable."

Tom smiled back, "I thought so too." He leaned forward from his chair to close the distance between them. B'Elanna found herself drawn to meet his kiss.


End file.
